Free printables for an arrow-themed Thanksgiving tablescape

Kelli Uhrich is a busy writer and active career woman from Phoenix, Arizona. When she's not writing, she enjoys diving into hands-on projects, reading, blogging, and hanging out with her two lazy greyhounds.

Point the way to a fun Thanksgiving

Arrow patterns have taken Pinterest by storm, so why not bring this hot new trend to your Thanksgiving table? This step-by-step guide and printable party pack will show you how!

Chevron is great, but we think it's about time to show some decorating love to its lesser-known cousin, the arrow. This past year, we've watched as this motif has grown in popularity, and to show our support for this growing trend, we've put together an arrow-themed party pack that is perfect for Thanksgiving, birthday parties and more.

1

Make the centerpiece

Arrows: For a little under $10, these decorative arrows can adorn your table. All you'll need are about 20 wooden dowel rods and six small bags of feathers from the craft store, plus a hot-glue gun, paint and string from around the house. Cut or break each dowel rod into two pieces, and then use your hot-glue gun to attach feathers. Tie them off with string. Add a splash of colorful paint to each arrow to give your centerpiece a playful look.

Display: To complete your centerpiece, add the finishing touches. You'll want to display your arrows in a fun way. We used a colorful tablecloth to create a runner down the center of the table, and then topped it with large glass vases filled with white vase-filler sand. Then, we simply arranged a handful of arrows within each vase.

2

Add the details

Targets: What good are arrows without targets? To top off each place setting, we used a bit of paint to turn cork coasters into mini targets. The Tyst coasters from Ikea ($2 for four) make budget-friendly options here, and by using the back side to paint your targets, you can still keep the decorative front side as coasters down the road.

To make the targets, simply draw circles in various sizes onto the coaster, and then use paint to fill in the lines. If you worry about straight lines, trace round objects from around the house, such as bottle caps, coins and cups.

Accents: Candles, place cards and chalkboard arrows for the back of each chair make the perfect accents for this theme. Use these pieces to really show off the color scheme you've created.

3

Go buffet style

Rather than crowd your beautiful dining space with food, why not continue your decorative theme on a convenient buffet table? Buffets are particularly great when entertaining in small spaces, because they allow guests to move around freely and select the specific items they want.

Continue your arrow theme on your buffet table by filling additional vases with the arrows you've made. Then, tie everything together with elements from the party pack, such as the party banner, cupcake toppers, straw tags, food labels, etc.

4

Say thanks

A Thanksgiving get-together would not be complete without a way to say "Thank you!" For a fun way to get your guests involved, leave a printable card at each place setting to allow them to share what they're thankful for. And when the party winds down, send each of your guests home with a small favor to thank them for coming.